On 31st January, Times of India first tweeted that the Election Commission had raided AAP candidate Naresh Balyan’s residence and seized more than 5000 Liquor bottles. Within two hours Times of India deleted that tweet and issued a correction that there was the bottles were not linked to Balyan. We had done a story at that time on this, explaining how even the EC had filed a case against “unknown persons” since there wasn’t enough proof to link the raid with any person.
At that time AAP leader Vishal Dadlani had made startling allegations that the godown was owned by a BJP supporter:
The person from whose godown the liquor has been siezed, is an awardee of BJP. Do @ibnlive @newsxonline @ZeeNews have courage to show this?
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) January 31, 2015
.@SachinKalbag @AksharPathak @gauravsabnis Also, that the FIR is against "unknown persons". I hear the guy who owns the godown, is BJP.
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) January 31, 2015
So why would a BJP-flunky need a godown full of booze on the day of Modi's Delhi rally? Thought about it? @ibnlive @newsxonline @ZeeNews ?
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) January 31, 2015
Another AAP leader Atishi Marlena claimed that the godown owner was a “Mukesh Balyan”
Story claimed liquor recovered frm office of AAP cand'te, Naresh Balyan. This is UNTRUE. EC raid happened on property of Mukesh Balyan (2/n)
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) January 31, 2015
Today, Times of India has reported that after its investigation, Delhi Police have determined that the 8000 liquor bottles did belong the AAP candidate Naresh Balyan. We also tried to find out who this “Mukesh Balyan” is, but we could find no record of anyone with the name “Mukesh Balyan” in the Delhi Voter’s list. It is possible that Naresh Balyan had used a fake name to register the premises.
Now that the police have squarely blamed Naresh Balyan, Vishal Dadlani and gang will have to do either of the following:
1. Name this “BJP awardee” “BJP flunky” who as per them owned the godown. Then provide proof of this, and exonerate their candidate
OR
2. Give an unconditional public apology for lying to the public at large. If he relied on some “sources” he should reveal the names of such sources.
